NHL Lockout Thought of the Day: Ted's Take

By Artistry

We saw Alex Ovechkin's comments today about how if the league rolls back player salaries in any significant way, he may take his 65 points a year to Moscow for good.  It's hardly shocking that he would say such a thing in the middle of a CBA negotiation where Gary Bettman's opening salvo was to ask the players to sacrifice their first born child.  But what if he really did it?  What if he never came back?  This would be sad, yet hilarious.  Imagine, if you will, the swift and emotional reaction from Ted Leonsis via his blog:

Betrayal

Searing pain.

The realization of a terrible truth.

Someone you treated as a son turns his back on you. He is not who you thought he was.

Et tu, Alex?

I hurt.  You hurt.  We hurt.  We are in this together.  That gives me comfort.  Our fans are the best in the world, come what may.  Players may betray us, but not the fans.  Never the fans.  Thank you.

Thank you.

As incredibly entertaining as this would be, we don't think Ted has much to worry about.  The recent NFL labor strife is instructive:  when all you need to do is divide up the revenue pie, you divide up the pie.  This is not an intractable dispute.  Ultimately, the players will take what they can get, and move on.  This should happen quickly, but then again, you can never underestimate how stupid people are.  To wit, 15% of Ohio republicans believe Mitt Romney is more responsible for Osama Bin Laden's death than Barack Obama.  47% are undecided.  Yeah, we may have no hockey this year.